Colleague Jaap van der Meer has just returned from the INSOL Europe Congress in Vienna, Austria. Here is his report:

“Some of the highlights from Friday and Saturday morning included the interactive ‘Workout Game’ led by Jan Adriaanse. Participants from various nationalities took on roles in a fictional restructuring case involving a company with three hotels and casinos in ‘Utopia’. We had 60 minutes to reach a solution, and we did! The negotiations were engaging, at times tense, and often quite entertaining (see the group photo). Many thanks to Jan for the insightful presentation, the case study, and the valuable lessons learned.

Another standout session featured Alice van der Schee and Omar Salah, among others, discussing an innovative restructuring concept: the Liability Management Exercise. This approach involves lenders agreeing in advance to debt restructuring terms in the documentation, enabling the injection of new capital in the event of a rescue attempt.

Professional sailor Christopher Pratt shared his dramatic experience of capsizing and being rescued at sea. His message: ‘If you try and fail, try again to fail better’ offered a powerful metaphor for fostering a resilient rescue culture in corporate restructuring.

On Friday evening, I attended a rooftop reception hosted by Kroll. Thank you for the kind invitation!

Saturday night was the Gala Dinner held in the stunning Palais Ferstel, featuring excellent food and entertainment.

There was also time to explore Vienna. Highlights included the Belvedere Palace with its exhibitions of Gustav Klimt (including the iconic The Kiss) and works by Renoir, Monet, and Cézanne. The Sigmund Freud Museum was another memorable visit.

Of course, no trip to Vienna would be complete without enjoying a slice of Sachertorte and a traditional Wiener Schnitzel.

I had the pleasure of meeting many new legal professionals from across Europe and reconnecting with old acquaintances; truly the most valuable aspect of the congress.

Many thanks to INSOL Europe for the excellent organization. Looking forward to seeing everyone next year in Vilamoura, Portugal!”